British Expeditionary Force, November 1918

v.1.0 August 19, 2001

Graham Watson

In November 1918 the British Expeditionary Force under Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig occupied a 55 mile-long stretch of the allied front line from Voorde in Belgium eastwards to Sivry on the Franco-Belgian border.

The BEF consisted of five armies, of which 2nd Army - the most northerly - was under the Army Group commanded by the King of the Belgians. The other four armies were under command of GHQ BEF. Each army consisted of a number of corps, a few of which were in reserve at the time of the Armistice. Each corps had a number of divisions which were rotated between attack and reserve: the status of each is indicated in the following list.

The order of battle lists armies, corps and divisions from left to right-what had been a north-south line was more akin to a west-east line by 11th November.

2nd ARMY (General Plumer) 10 mile front from Voorde to Lessines

II Corps [in reserve]

9th Scottish Division [in reserve]

34th Division

XIX Corps

41st Division

31st Division

35th Division

X Corps

30th Division

29th Division

XV Corps [in reserve]

14th Light Division [in reserve]

40th Division

36th Ulster Division [in reserve]

Army Command:

3rd Cavalry Division

5th ARMY (General Birdwood) 11 mile front from Lessines to east of Ath

XI Corps

59th North Midland Division

47th London Division

57th West Lancashire Division [in reserve]

III Corps [in reserve]

74th Yeomanry Division

55th West Lancashire Division

I Corps

15th Scottish Division

16th Irish Division [in reserve]

58th London Division

Army command:

1st Cavalry Division

 

1st ARMY (General Horne) 14 mile front from 9 miles east of Ath to north of Mons

VIII Corps

8th Division

20th Light Division [in reserve]

12th Eastern Division [in reserve]

52nd Lowland Division

Canadian Corps

1st Canadian Division [in reserve]

2nd Canadian Division [in reserve]

3rd Canadian Division

4th Canadian Division

56th London Division

XXII Corps

4th Division [in reserve]

51st Highland Division [in reserve]

11th Northern Division

49th West Riding Division [in reserve]

 

3rd ARMY (General Byng) 11 mile front astride Sambre from Thuin to Maubege

XVII Corps

19th Western Division

24th Division

61st South Midland Division [in reserve]

63rd Royal Naval Division [in reserve]

VI Corps

Guards Division

2nd Division [in reserve]

3rd Division [in reserve]

62nd West Riding Division

IV Corps

5th Division [in reserve]

37th Division

42nd East Lancashire Division

New Zealand Division

V Corps

17th Northern Division

21st Division [in reserve]

33rd Division [in reserve]

38th Welsh Division

Armycommand:

2nd Cavalry Division

4th ARMY (General Rawlinson) 9 mile front to Sivry

XIII Corps

25th Division [in reserve]

50th Northumbrian Division

66th East Lancashire Division

18th Eastern Division [in reserve]

IX Corps

1st Division [in reserve]

6th Division [in reserve]

32nd Division

46th North Midland Division

Australian Corps [in reserve]

1st Australian Division

2nd Australian Division

3rd Australian Division

5th Australian Division

II US Corps [in reserve]

27th US Division

30th US Division

GHQ Reserve

39th Division

4th Australian Division

 

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